GARY LUCAS/JOZEF
VAN WISSEM
Diplopia
BVHaast
0103
WILLIAM PARKER/JOE MORRIS/HAMID DRAKE
Eloping With The Sun
RITI CD
007
String-driven, these CDs work with the idea of adapting traditional plucked
instruments to new roles, new sounds and unusual additions. Thus, on one
disc, the country bluesman's favorite National steel guitar and the Renaissance
minstrel's lute are mixed with electronics and percussion for futuristic
versions of 16th century airs. On the other, three free jazzers use instruments
rescued from the stringband and world music ghettos to create some highly
rhythmic improvised sounds.
A follow-up of sorts to Narcissus Drowning, Dutch lutanist Jozef Van Wissem
last CD which featured downtown New York guitarist Gary Lucas on three
tracks, this short (311/2-minute) disc has Lucas on board for all nine
tracks.
Designated as Diplopia or double image, the idea seems to be that Lucas's
National steel and acoustic guitars complement Van Wissem's lute and electronics
so well that they seem to be joined at the frets. Indeed on the seven
songs -- two appear both in studio and live versions -- the duo seems
to be extending the fingerpicking instrumental tradition of John Fahey
and Leo Kottke. Most tunes find the lutanist advancing the sounds, which
range from near gavottes to Renaissance processional themes to something
that sounds suspiciously like "Ode to Joy," with passing chords
tossed out to the guitarist. The crash of percussion and suggestions of
droning electronics further dislocate the melodies from four centuries-old
histories.
For the most part eschewing strumming folkie accompaniment, Lucas either
constructs underlying flat-picking as a continuum or uses the sort of
lancet-sharp whine Bukka White or Son House could draw from their strings
to comment on the proceedings. Operating in tandem or counterpoint, the
two pickers often pass floating motifs back and forth, but with a single
exception, have stalled the presentation on virtuosity rather than resolution.
Although it's just as pleasant as the duo's previous CD, Diplopia is also
very similar sounding. Unless some fresh input is added to their sound,
the two may find themselves trapped in a medieval ghetto waiting for a
musical Renaissance.
One tune, "The Mirror Stage" does offer some hope for a rebirth,
though, with the allusion to sprightly Aegean dance music tossed into
the mix. Interestingly enough it's the same sort of Greco-Turkish rhythm
that enlivens some of the sounds on Eloping with the Sun.
On the final and penultimate tunes of that session, for instance, the
trio appears to lock into suggestions of Greek Rebetika music, harsh,
urban dance rhythms played by violin, guitar oud, cenbalo and lyre. Those
ethnic axes aren't in evidence, but the three musicians are playing what
is for them unusual instruments. Bassist William Parker keeps the hypnotic
beat going with the zintir, a Moroccan bass lute usually associated with
Gnawa music. Drum kit master Hamid Drake confines himself to creating
counter rhythms on a frame drum that looks like a giant tambourine. And
Joe Morris puts aside his guitar to play banjo and ukulele hybrid, the
banjouke.
"Stepdance" features those Greco-Turkish suggestions unrolling
over the sort of repeated bass patterns popular in Africentric jazz-funk
of the 1970s and, to be honest, the Newbeats' hit "Bread and Butter."
Drake bangs his hand drum and Morris introduces some flailing commentary
with his banjo.
Gus Cannon-like chromatic blues banjo comes to the fore on "Dream,"
as Drake and Parker are able to use their acoustic instruments to lock
into a repetitive groove as if they were the electric bassist and drummer
in a crack rhythm team from the golden age of Motown. Probably switching
to the banjouke, Morris alternates the Rebetika echoes with first speedy
finger picking then slurred fingering with an eccentric choice of notes.
Earlier there have been sections where it has sounded as if some Scruggs-style
bluegrass banjo picking had been mixing it up with African and Middle
Eastern drones. That's because Drake seems to be able to produce snare
and bass drum sounds from his one percussion implement. "Hop-kin,"
the longest tune at nearly 17 minutes, finds clawhammer banjo licks facing
what could be a walking jazz bass and Native American tom toms at one
point. Another section turns vaguely North Indian, with the strings and
percussion instruments implying the sounds of a sarod and a tabla. Wonder
if Old Joe Clark ever met Ravi Shankar? Meanwhile, as Morris's decorations
on the basic tune ascends and descends the chord structure, Parker's finger
patterns don't slacken in intensity.
An interesting experiment, this CD would probably have been better if
it was one long, but more condensed track, rather than one divided into
five shorter parts. It's a disc that will be sought out by followers of
any of these experimenters to see how they transfer their unique technique(s)
to other instruments. Whether this total instrumental cross-dressing should
be tried again may be open to argument.
-- Ken Waxman
Track Listing Diplopia: 1. Sick; 2. If it doesn't fit, thou must acquit;
3. For whom the bell tolls; 4. Will o' the Wisp; 5. Diplopia; 6. The Mirror
Stage; 7. Brethren of the Free Spirit; 8. If it doesn't fit, thou must
acquit (live); 9. The Mirror Stage (live)
Track Listing Eloping With The Sun: 1. Sand Choir; 2. Dawn Son; 3. Hop-Kin;
4. Stepdance; 5. Dream
Personnel
Diplopia: Gary Lucas, National steel and acoustic guitars; Jozef Van Wissem,
10-course Renaissance lute, electronics, percussion
Personnel
Eloping With The Sun: Joe Morris, banjo and banjouke; William Parker,
zintir; Hamid Drake, frame drum